Kagami no Kakera
by Pure-chan
Summary: Many things happened, making them who they are now. Could they look pass past mistakes? Could they make do with what they have and try to adapt? Or will they simply drift apart, to never have such feelings again? Pairings: Kaka/Kasu, Ari/Shuhei, Ino/Sai, Kita/Sasu, Gaara/Shinju. Side-story to The Hyuuga Pearl Rated M for safety (mention of rape) On hiatus
1. Prologue

**So here, as promised, the first chapter... which is actually the prologue... of The Hyuuga Pearl! It's super short, but that way, I can manage with your requests easier. Also, it's mostly about things you probably know already, but I had to add some things about Shinju since she won't be our main character this time. I hope that you all enjoy! Thank you for following the sequel!**

Prologue

Weeks have passed since the eventful Chunin Examinations in Konohagakure no Sato. After the incident with Uchiha Sasuke, everyone pretty much resumed to their daily lives. Well, that is, with a few exceptions like Uzumaki Naruto who left on a training trip with the Gama Sennin Jiraiya and Shinju who was recently disowned. The latter now lived in a small apartment in the same building as the former and had a part-time job in the Yamanaka flower shop and another in a music store around the corner.

Both the Haruno and the Yamanaka girls went under the tutelage of the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade. Kita, Emiko and Shinji were adjusting to their new teams, but still saw each other from time to time. Missions have been coming along in large number so all of the ninja, even the recently graduated Genin were working hard.

Yet, despite those very missions, relationships bloom and memories resurface within the world of mirror shards, each reflecting a different point of view, a different memory…

**So yeah... When I thought of the sequel's title, I wanted to have a name that would represent memories and different points of view like I mentioned in that last line... I thank Code Geass (Lelouch to be precise) for its guidance. I don't remember the quote per se, but he mentioned that just changing your POV a little could open yourself to new possibilities or something around those lines. When he said it, we kind of saw a crystal reflecting his memories with his classmates and sister. I also thank all anime that I watched which had a scene of a dark world with countless mirror shards since that was the picture I had in mind when I wrote the sequel's name.**

**Now, for the seuquel itself, I may need your help from time to time, mostly on which couple should I start with and so on. Now, we have several couples in the line and I'll be putting them in order of priority.**

**1. Kakashi/Kasumi**

**2. Kita/Sasuke**

**3. Shuhei/Arisu**

** /Sai (maybe slight Ino/Kiba if you want it)**

**There are also polls for pairings for Emiko and Shinji and I also want to make sure if you guys want Sakura to have a partner or not. If so, either suggest a person or vote between Shino (1) Lee (2). As you can see the number of votes are way too close for me to come to a conclusion on that. Those are probably the only pairings for this part since we'll be doing a good number of flashbacks and I'm thinking of revealing some things in this sequel as well. I'm expecting this to be as long as The Hyuuga Pearl, but I can't say for sure since it's so far away.**

**That's it for now, so please give out suggestions on how I should proceed, especially with Ino/Sai since I'm neutral to that pairing.**

**Toodles!**


	2. Routine and The Mission

Chapter One

(Shinju's POV)

I was cleaning the instruments in the back this morning. The store was small, but it had instruments of all kinds. Flutes, shamisen, even some from the continent like the erhu and the violon. Those weren't in as good condition as the others though, since nobody bought them and they had to cross the sea and a great distance on land before arriving.

I liked working here since the salary was decent and on good days, the owner, Tsurugi-san, would teach me how to play some of the instruments and let me play in front of the store. He said that it attracted customers, not that it wasn't true, but I think he mostly wants someone to pass on how to play the continent's instruments to. I had a talent for music, probably because I relied on sound for such a long time.

When I returned to the counter, someone was waiting for me. It was Arisu. Our relationship has only gotten better since my banishment from the clan and though she wasn't as close to me as Kita, she acted like our older sister figure. Today, she wore a sleeveless short yukata which reached a bit pass her knees and long sleeves attached to her arms. Her hair was, as always, in two small buns before cascading down her back. Her clothes were shades of… green, I believe the word was.

"Shinju, how are you? Still working hard as usual," she commented, looking around. "You'll have to play that other piece again when I come back from my mission."

"Another mission already? You just came back last night from the last one! I'm surprised that you even have time to visit me!" I smiled, albeit a bit worried. "What rank is it this time? A B-rank? Or an A-Rank one?" I asked as I placed boxes on the shelves.

"Well, we just came back from a series of C-Rank missions so I guess that it's one or the other." She shrugged. "Daisuke wanted me to tell you that Kasumi-sensei is inviting you over for dinner after this mission. We haven't been together all four of us for a long time. Bring along Kita too."

"Alright, I will. Be careful, okay? Neither of you had proper rest for a while. You're on the run so much that I sometimes forget you even live here!"

"Very funny. I'll see you next time, I'm running late."

"Tell the others to be careful too, alright? I don't want to see them in a hospital next!"

(Shuhei's POV)

"Arisu's late again? Why doesn't that surprise me anymore?"

"Maybe because she's been late ever since what happened with Shinju. Arisu makes sure to visit her before every mission if possible." Daisuke answered. "And I do know that your question was rhetorical."

Instead of banging my head like most thought that I would, I just sighed. Ten years of friendship does that to you. We're so in tune with each other that it's like we can read each other's minds. It used to freak out Arisu, but now she's just jealous of our awesomeness, kind of.

"She's actually jealous that we're so close to each other since she didn't have a single friend before, remember? Let her enjoy herself, she deserves it."

See what I mean by reading each other's mind? Thankfully, Daisuke was tactful enough to not reply to some of my thoughts out loud, or we'd be in so much trouble. Kasumi-sensei leaned against the wall, head facing the clouds again. She told us a few weeks ago that we'll be having a series of missions to stimulate our teamwork and abilities so that we will pass the next Chunin Selection Exam. I don't even want to remember what she threatened to do if we failed to pass, again. Hell hath no fury a woman scorned alright. I still shake at the thought of it.

"Oi, Shuhei, daydreaming again?" Arisu walked up to us. "I wasn't that late, only two minutes. It's an improvement from last time."

"Why are you still counting?" I grumbled. "I already said that I was sorry! What more do you want? A date at the village's most expensive restaurant?"

"Do you really want to know what she thinks about that?" Kasumi-sensei asked, still in the same position. I quickly shook my head several times. "I thought so. Come on, we can't keep the Hokage waiting any more than we have already."

(Kita's POV)

"Kakashi's been insufferable the past weeks."

"Really, genius Uchiha Sasuke has only found out about that?" I asked sarcastically. "Your intelligence must be lacking lately."

"Hn."

"So now we're back to 'hn'ing again. What a surprise." Kouji wagged his tail and barked, agreeing with me. Both Sasuke and I have been either going on missions or going through harsh training under Kakashi-sensei. Don't let his aloof expression fool you. That man is the slave-driver amongst slave-drivers. Even Guy-sensei and Sakura were surprised at what lengths he went to get us stronger and ready for the next Exams!

"What surprises me is how fast Kouji and that other dog have been growing. During the last Exam, I'm pretty sure that he was able to get on your head." Sasuke had a point. Though Akamaru's growth spurt took place first, Kouji is now almost thrice the size he was back then. At the mention of his name, he happily jumped towards Sasuke so he can pet him.

"I was being sarcastic." I looked at the clouds. "I'm starting to understand why Shikamaru likes watching clouds so much. Compared to our hellish training, it's heaven."

"Tch. Without such "hellish" training, we wouldn't have improved as fast as we have. You still win against Sakura and her improvement isn't one to underestimate." Sasuke stood up. "And this hellish training is worth staying in Konoha."

"You're still going on about that? It's been months since that happened! Can't we just have a day without you mentioning it?" I was partly sarcastic, but him talking about his almost-defection everyday was starting to get on my nerves.

"Though I don't regret staying, that doesn't mean that I will stop asking 'what if's." He pointed out. "Whether I stay or leave doesn't really matter in the big pisture. What's important is to grow stronger so I can kill him… and protect what I can."

"You added that because there are still ANBU watching, didn't you?"

"The ANBU were withdrawn two days ago."

"Is that so…"

"If you have so much time talking, then I guess that we can continue with the next series of footwork," Kakashi-sensei appeared out of nowhere. I couldn't help but groan as my head lowered in depression. Hell indeed…

(Kasumi's POV)

"Team Kasumi, Team Ten and Team Eight. You will be having an A-Rank joint mission." Tsunade-sama announced. "The bandits that have been targeting young women and children in the eastern province are going to attack soon again. Our client wants us to take care of the group of rogues and save the prisoners. Their present base is located in Satoshi village. Team Eight will be scouting for the bandits and help free the prisoners. Team Ten will interrogate bandits and blend into the village. Team Kasumi will initiate attack on the bandits. Listen, I don't want a single trace of them left, is that understood?"

"Hai!"

"The mission should be done within a week. I'm counting on you all. Do not forget to protect Ino and Hinata at all costs during the mission. Without medics, you will suffer great casualties. If one of you is too injured or if you are all overwhelmed, Asuma, I want you to activate the jutsu on your scroll. That is all, you are to leave in an hour. Prepare all your equipment and meet at the gates at the appointed time. Do not disappoint me!"

"Hai!"

The children left the office with their sensei. I stayed behind. "Tsunade-sama, those bandits…"

"I know what happened fifteen years ago." She interrupted me. "I also know that your team isn't much older than when it happened. Believe in your team and the others. They all show great potential. I'm sure they'll be fine."

I could not object. I knew that Tsunade-sama would not send us on this mission if she thought that we weren't ready. If it weren't for the shortage of ninja, it would be Chunin and Jounin who are sent on this kind of mission. It might be a good experience for them, but I fear for the same thing to happen again…

**So.. What do you think? Did you like my first official chapter of Kagami no Kakera? I won't be giving much detail on the mission itself, but there will be scenes about it in the next chapers... Shinju won't be an important character, but she will have multiple appearances. You must be having your own ideas of what happened to Kasumi... Don't worry, it'll be revealed in the next chapters as well. **

**I'm planning three major parts for this story. Part 1 is about the mission, Kasumi's past. Part 2 is about Shuhei, Daisuke and Arisu's pasts. Part 3 will be about all of the other pairings. But the structure might change a bit.**

**Don't forget to suggest pairings and to vote between...**

**Sakura/Lee 2**

**Sakura/Shino 1**

**Sakura/otheer 0**


	3. The Mission

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait! I really didn't know how to write this chapter, even though I know what's supposed to happen... And the day I began writing this chapter, I was forced to stop after the first paragraph and inspiration never returned until recently. I was also immersing myself within the universe of Harry Potter lately... These things just don't mix, like oil and water. Anyway, I hope that this chapter won't be too much of a disappointment... It's moslty just resuming the mission though, but this takes place as the group returns to Konoha so I guess you could say it's mostly a flashback chapter...**

Chapter Two

"Come on! We have to hurry! She won't be able to take it much longer!"

"How far are we, Asuma-sensei? How much longer…?"

"Concentrate! Getting back to Konoha is our top priority right now!"

(Kasumi's POV)

The mission was a success despite the casualties we suffered and our obvious disadvantage. There were no ninja except for some untrained bandits who were decent at handling chakra and maybe a few Genin. They weren't really bright, making it easy for us to make an almost fool-proof plan to rescue the prisoners who were kept in the basement. Interrogation went smoothly as well, which was a big surprise since it was an A-Ranked mission.

There were guards rotating at random intervals, but they weren't paying attention half of the time and most fell asleep during their round. The building was big, comprising of a big yard surrounding it. There were no traps to speak of and the building itself had two levels and a basement. There were around seventy bandits in total and more than twenty prisoners. If anything was troublesome about the situation, as Shikamaru puts it, was the sheer numbers of both parties. It would mostly pose a problem in a hostage situation.

The plan was as follows. Kiba, Chouji and Shino will cause a distraction near the eastern wall, where most of the bandits were. Hinata, Ino, Arisu, Daisuke and myself are to knock out the guards and lead the prisoners away. Our back-up will consist of Asuma, Kurenai, Shuhei and Shikamaru. Our objective was to save the captives and knock out all opposition (except for the distraction group). Only if necessary will we use other means to take care of them.

We rushed in around the time the sky turned completely black. The clouds covered all sources of natural night and gave us the perfect cover for infiltration. Rescue Team went in first as the Distraction began its job. Back-up followed shortly after, silent as always.

We knocked out only around ten people who were rushing to the eastern wall. That was when our suspicions began. Even if it were such a commotion, surely their leader would not permit them all to check what was going on? Our guard was up and we slid to the basement. Not a single bandit stood in our way, as if they had all disappeared. Only candles light the hallways and the only thing we could hear were our footsteps which were by all means, quite silent.

When we arrived at the basement, there was a big rusty lock on the doors. Asuma cut it and the chains in half before motioning us to open the doors slowly. They creaked of course, but no one except us and the prisoners were able to hear it. At least, that's what I thought.

Women in shredded clothing huddled against each other and surrounded children varying from the age of three to around eleven years. We told them of our purpose and separated the group into two. Hinata and I will take group one and bring them out first. Shuhei will accompany us along with Kurenai. Group two will be lead by Arisu, Ino and Daisuke with Asuma and Shikamaru as back-up just in case something bad happens to group one. It was agreed upon that I will send Aka to them to report whether it was a trap or not. We left immediately.

(Daisuke's POV)

After we received word that it was safe, Shikamaru began giving out instructions. Each of us will be in charge of a quartet and leave the basement each one minute after the other. Then, a young woman dressed in a purple yukata pleaded us to save her sister who was taken to another room earlier that day. She claimed that only she was brought back here and there was no sign of her sister ever since. Arisu said that she did see a woman being dragged out of the basement a couple of hours earlier as well.

"Alright, Arisu, I want you to accompany this lady to where her sister is," Shikamaru told her. "Make it fast, both of you."

Without a word, they left. Now that each had a group of five with the exception of Shikamaru, we left the basement at long last. Yet, after we brought the captives to safety, the tables turned immediately. Their skin changed color; they've gone completely crazy, surrounded us and attacked. Their attacks were like those of beasts and even those whose pictures we had received from the client had turned into hideous monsters.

At first, we didn't want to attack yet, but after Shikamaru told us that it was a trap from the beginning, we gladly took out our weapons. A swing here, a jutsu there, a kick here and a punch there… It became an all-out brawl. Those creatures had some kind of supernatural strength and they outnumbered us. Despite our best techniques and Shikamaru's strategies, we were in one big pinch.

Somewhere along the way, I accidently sprayed some water on everyone since my gourd was smashed open in mid-air. Noticing how the monsters reacted badly to the downpour, Shikamaru tried to figure out how the hell were we going to defeat them. I'm quite certain that he complained about the lack of rain despite the apparent thunderclouds that had gathered.

Moments later, Kaa-san showed up and created a big wave that some of us were unable to escape. We found out that the same thing happened on their side. Luckily, none of them were heavily injured since Kaa-san has a water affinity. Yet, when Shuhei asked us where Arisu was, we realized what a big mistake we made.

Hinata and Shuhei were the first to leave to the building to search for Arisu, I followed with Kaa-san beside me. The others, as I learned later on, had joined the Destructive Trio to help them with the soldiers. Apparently, the same thing happened on their side and they were quite thankful for the rescue… Since they were three against seventy monsters who can only be beaten with water.

When we arrived at Arisu's location, we saw her practically naked, on the floor, writhing in pain. There was a pool of blood under her and bloody kunai and shuriken on the walls. Kaa-san took care of the monster immediately upon arrival, letting Hinata check Arisu's condition. To tell the truth, it was the second time I saw her so frail and vulnerable, the first being a consequence of her first meeting with Shinju.

Then, Hinata announced the verdict…

Next thing I knew, all of us (Kaa-san also took care of the soldiers upon our exit and basically gave the whole monster-infested area a big bath) were hopping on the trees, hurrying back to our village. Shuhei held Arisu, who now had a coat over her, in his arms. He only looked forward in determination and even when we decided that Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Shino, Kiba and Kurenai-sensei will remain behind as we rushed back, he did not bat an eyelash.

**You all know about the Shuhei/Arisu pairing so I won't be giving more details about it. You may or may not have ideas about what happened to Arisu... It's kind of obvious... Sorry for the gore, by the way... One detail: the mission is an A-Rank, but the client was just worried about his wife and children who were amongst the captives. That, and the money comes from all of the people who have loved ones who were captured by the bandits. About the situation of the bandits themselves... You'll just have to patient longer.**

**Ino/Sai is now official, but I really don't know about Sakura/Lee since I can't see how it will work. As for Emiko and Shinji... Here are your options...**

**Emiko/Kiba**

**Emiko/Chouji**

**Emiko/Daisuke**

**Shinji/Sakura**

**Shinji/Matsuri**

**If you have any other suggestions, please give them. Do note that Kasumi/Kakashi, Ino/Sai, Kita/Sasuke, Shuhei/Arisu and another I may have forgotten will have their own arcs in this part of the more or less official triology. If an Emiko and/or a Shinji pairing are made official within this first arc, chances are that they'll also have their own arc. If not, they will just be sideline characters**

**Please review, vote and continue reading my story!**


	4. Arrival at Konoha

**So finally a new chapter... Sorry for the wait. I really had no idea how to continue this part since it's annoying yet important. Writer's block and all, but I'm back and for a while. For those of you who haven't noticed, I just posted a new story called Mysterious Shadow. It's a Harry Potter, Draco/OC fanfiction. Well, it's going to be anyway, when we get there. I hope that those who are fans of Harry Potter will take a look and maybe review... That's about it. Sorry for how disgusted you might have felt in the last chapter, but you had to kind of understand that. There will be another scene in the story, somewhat similar to that one... just less intense. This arc is mostly concentrated on the character's psychological battles and development. So yup, enjoy!**

Chapter Three

(Hinata's POV)

The state Arisu was in was simply terrible. I couldn't believe that there were people in this world who are sick enough to do something like this. I knew that most of us shared the same feelings about this. How am I going to tell Shinju? Though Arisu was like a good friend to me, she was like a sister to her. How can I tell her what happened today?

When we arrived at the village, the group split into two. Daisuke-kun and Asuma-sensei will report to the Hokage Tower whereas the rest of us will be heading straight towards the hospital. Once we got there, a doctor was summoned.

"Sensei, this girl is currently in a critical condition. We must proceed to the ER immediately." My voice was firm and unwavering as I described Arisu's wounds.

My elder cousin was put on a bed and two nurses pushed it to a room as the doctor called for Shizune-san and other people to help us out. Meanwhile, I tried to comfort Shuhei before telling them that I need to go help the team to heal Arisu.

(Sakura's POV)

Nine days passed since Ino left on a mission. I'm actually surprised at how peaceful the hospital was in her absence. Sure, there was still a lot of patients and many nurses and doctors were working, but without her presence, it's so strange. Never thought that her presence would impact the atmosphere this much. She was always loud and brash but there was no denying that she got better after the exams.

I was taking care of a patient when a nurse came in the room suddenly, telling me to follow her. We hurried down the hall and as we approached our destination, I saw many other doctors and nurses going about hurriedly.

"Hyuuga Arisu is in room R-594 right now, we need more medic-nin!" A nurse was telling a doctor.

"It'll be fine," I told them. "I'm heading that way. "Ikimono-san, please follow me."

When I entered the room, Hinata and two nurses and a doctor were working on Arisu. Shizune-san entered right after. "Come on, everyone, we must stabilize her quickly! Sakura, I need you and Hinata to help me with this. Ikimono-san, please had over the surgery tools. Fujihara-san, please tell the others that no one is allowed to enter. Now hurry!"

We didn't speak as we went about our tasks. Despite the stress and worry, we were able to act rationally and perfectly calm thanks to our training. Seeing all the wounds on Arisu-san's body, I pushed all worries of Ino and the others aside, concentrating on saving my patient.

(Kita's POV)

We were eating out with Kakashi-sensei after another long and horrid day of hellish training. Sasuke didn't say much, but I could tell that he was glad for the break, however ephemeral it was. Kakashi-sensei was still reading his book as usual. It makes me want to hit him and just release all of my frustrations on him, but I knew that it was a bad idea. Why? I did that once, and when you're exhausted and trying to beat up a Jounin who's at top shape… You end up with even more training.

Actually, that day, both of us went to try to beat him up, but we weren't even close before we dropped of exhaustion. Seriously, what kind of teacher acts like that? And the way he acts all innocent about it too! Even Kouji is fed up with him, and that's saying something since he's the most patient dog I've ever seen.

Suddenly, Asuma-sensei appeared, all bloody inside the restaurant. I can tell you that the sight wasn't really appreciated… Even if there wasn't that much blood.

"Oh. Asuma, are you all back?" Kakashi-sensei asked, looking up from his book. "Shouldn't you change before coming here though?"

"Not even half of us are back, Kakashi," Asuma-sensei replied. "Hyuuga Arisu was heavily injured and barely holding on. The whole team is at the hospital right now and I think that they're nearing their breaking point. I just came from reporting to Tsunade-sama."

Kakashi-sensei closed his book stiffly and stood up. "Maa, it looks like that I have to go now. We'll be training again tomorrow, same time, same place."

I stood up as well, and paid for my meal. "I'm going to tell Shinju about Arisu. She should know." Sasuke agreed and followed me, us, including Kouji, as we headed to Shinju's flat.

(Kakashi'S POV)

I went to the hospital with Asuma as soon as he said that the whole team was reaching its breaking point. That meant that Kasumi was taking it badly and there could only be one explanation. What she feared has come to pass.

She's undoubtedly reliving her most traumatic experience right now. Knowing her, she'd want to be there for her son and stay strong for everyone, but she's crumbling. And I had to get to her before anything bad happens to her as well. Asuma went to change and warn the Hyuuga clan of the matter so I headed to the hospital alone.

When I got to where the trio were, it was like something hit me in the face. Their wary expressions, I've seen countless times before, having been a prodigy and ANBU captain in the past. I've worn a similar expression once, when Obito then Rin died. When sensei died too, I had that expression. But then, it wasn't just me, but the whole village.

Daisuke nodded at me and I returned his greeting. Meanwhile, the other boy, Shuhei, was the worse off. He literally looked like the living dead. How one'S skin could become so pale and the rings under one's eyes so pronounced within a few hours has always been beyond me. Finally, I looked at Kasumi. She had a glazed looked and she trembled, though not noticeable under untrained eyes.

"Kasumi, daijobou ka?" I asked her, but no response. "Kasumi? Kasumi!"

She looked at me, a tear running down her cheek as she lost her balance and fell. I managed to hold her in time, but as I shook her, she was no longer conscious. "Daisuke! Go get a nurse or a doctor!" He hurried off as I put Kasumi in a more comfortable position. She groaned, shivered and whimpered. Moments later, she began tossing and turning around on the bench. I tried to wake her up, but to no avail.

"Kasumi, wake up! It'S already over! You got over it years ago! Kasumi!"

"No… Don't… Someone help… Help… me…."

**From the next chapter, we'll be delving into Kasumi and Kakashi's past and how Daisuke came to be. You probably have a good idea of what happened already with the hints and all. First, I'll begin with a background check with Kasumi and then, skip to when the event that changed her life happened. The whole thing will take around four five chapters or more, I guess.**

**Anyway, please review (I'm running low over here!)**


	5. Kasumi's Background Revealed

**Hello! another update, hurray for me! This chapter is mostly to clarify Kasumi's background. I know that I could tell her story in more than twenty chapters if I wanted to, but... I'm a bit lazy. This will only be showing the first event that changed her life and prepare the setting for the second major event... So, no Kakashi/Kasumi... yet. Please enjoy!**

Chapter Four

Sakomizu Kasumi was born in a family of civilians. Her parents used to treat her like a princess when she was a child. They had a small family business, but it flourished and Kasumi's early childhood was anything but unhappy.

Yet, from when she was five and half years old, her parents began noticing that she usually preferred to play with boys rather than girls and befriended children who come from ninja clans. Unlike most civilians in the village, the Sakomizu had a very low tolerance for ninja, mostly because they were forced out of their native village from the very ones who then accepted them to live in Konohagakure. They would tell their daughter time and time again to not approach anyone who had a ninja as a relative or wanted to become ninjas.

Then, on her fourth birthday, Kasumi made a request that will change the outcome of her life.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san, I want to go to the Ninja Academy next year! I heard that it was really fun, and we train to become ninjas! I want to become the bestest kunoichi there is!"

"How dare you!" Her mother screamed. "I told you before to never associate with ninjas!"

"You will never become a ninja, Kasumi," her father told her. "Never mention anything like that again. You will carry on our business in the future, marry a civilian, and have as less things to do with ninjas as possible!"

"Demo, Tou-san, Kaa-san, I really want to go!" Kasumi begged. "Please let me!"

Her mother then slapped her harshly. "You will go back to your room. No dinner or cake for you, Kasumi!"

Days passed, and Kasumi didn't eat a thing, only drinking from a fountain. She became extremely hungry and thin, but until her parents let her have this one thing that mattered to her, she made a vow to not eat a morsel. It went on until the Sandaime Hokage himself dealt with this matter personally.

Kasumi's parents were furious that the Hokage dared tell them to let Kasumi become a shinobi for the village that destroyed their home, but seeing their daughter's condition, they had to agree, lest Kasumi died out of hunger. Sarutobi urged them to let her do as she wished.

"I know that our people have done you wrong in the past, but not all of us are like that. You cannot cut the wings of your only child because of her dreams."

Reluctantly, they let her attend the Academy, but from that day on, to them, she was no longer their daughter. Their family slowly drifted apart with time, but as Kasumi was their responsibility until she was of age, sixteen years old, they had to make due with her. They ignored her and no longer gave her gifts or celebrate her birthday. They didn't hate Kasumi yet, but they only tolerated her.

In the Ninja Academy, Kasumi was somewhat nervous since she would be reuniting with friends her parents had barred her from seeing. The entrance ceremony was brief, but Kasumi quickly became friends with Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma and Nohara Rin. Her old friends had mostly forgotten her, but the three new ones she gained made all the difference.

Kasumi was very shy at first, since her parents never let her near anything related to shinobi, but she was smart, and quickly became the second best kunoichi in training of her year, right behind Kurenai. Yet, a time went by, her friends expressed the desire to meet her parents as they never saw them pick up Kasumi from school.

"…It would be best if you didn't, guys…" Kasumi tried to stop them. "My parents… well…"

"If there's anything wrong, you can tell us," Asuma said. "Tou-san's the Hokage and I'm sure that if there was a problem, he could help you out."

"It's not that, Asuma, it's just, well…" The dark blue-haired girl hesitated to tell them about her family issues. What happened was her own fault after all…

"Come on, Kasumi," Kurenai said. "Your parents must be proud of how well you're doing. Your genjutsu skills are even better than mine, a member of the Yuuhi clan! What can possibly go wrong?"

"My parents… didn't want me to come to the Academy…" Kasumi admitted softly. "We had a big fight over it… I don't know why they hate ninjas so much… They didn't want me to associate with anything or anyone associated with ninjas…"

"Kasumi, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" Kurenai gasped.

"Tou-san helped you enter the Academy, right?" Asuma asked, receiving a nod as a reply. "It's not your fault, Kasumi. They can't forbid you to do what you want to without a good reason. It's their loss."

"Asuma's right, Kasumi. You have us and when you graduate, you'll have your sensei and your teammates. You won't be alone, and we're behind you all the way."

"Arigatou, minna… You don't know how much this means to me…"

ooOOooOOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

After their fifth year at the Academy, Kurenai, Kasumi, Obito, Rin and Asuma graduated as Genin along with many others. Kurenai and Asuma were put in a team, Obito and Rin were teamed with Hatake Kakashi, a prodigy, and Kasumi was paired up with two friends: Genma and Gekkou Hayate.

Time flew, and soon, they were fighting in the Third Shinobi War. Thanks to her own harsh childhood, Kasumi was able to stay level-headed even when they were sent to kill a battalion alongside other teams. It was hard on everyone, especially after the loss of Uchiha Obito and other comrades.

At the age of thirteen, both Kurenai and Kasumi became Chunin alongside each other. Their missions became harder than before, but they pressed forward along with their remaining friends. Kasumi excelled as a medic-nin alongside Rin and fought valiantly in the war.

Once, Kasumi had to infiltrate a base in Kumo. It was a solo mission and there was no possible back-up for her, as the nearest Konoha ninja would be days away. It was a harsh mission and Kasumi was close to success, but a random high-ranking shinobi found her and everything went downhill from there…

**I know that some parts of it may not yet make sense and some probably just don't, so please point them out for me since I wrote this like, at midnight yesterday. I personally feel for her, with her parents shunning her and all... She was just a little girl too... Some facts may not totally be canon, but I try. If you would be kind enough to point them out, that would be great. Otherwise, I hope that you all appreciated this insight on Kasumi's past and will continue reading my story.**

**Please review! That would really make my day ;)**


	6. Kasumi's Nightmare

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, I have no true excuse other than schoolwork and writer's block. This chapter isn't that well done in my opinion, but I'm too lazy to describe what happened in detail.**

**WARNING! There are hints of lemon in this chapter. Don't like, don't read.**

Chapter Five

The mission was simple on paper: infiltrate the base, get the files and leave without a trace. All had to be done unnoticed. The Third War may have ended years ago, but there was still much hostility between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. Having been recently promoted to Jounin, and being the only one who was available for the A-Rank mission at the time, Kasumi headed immediately out of the country. She was to report to the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, in a month.

However, when she was in the vicinity of the base, several Kumo ninja surrounded her and trapped her. They were all men, much more experienced, stronger, and in larger numbers. Before she could even try to escape, Kasumi was captured and knocked unconscious. She remembered fighting, screaming for help, trying to injure her kidnappers, but, in the end, her mind went blank and she fell.

When she woke up, she was in a dark and damp cell. Her injuries were taken care of, and one of her legs was linked to the stone wall. At first, Kasumi thought that her kidnappers were idiots, healing her then just barely restraining her. Seconds later, she realized that she was much too weak to even bother moving. A bit after she realized that, her mind went numb again, and she fell asleep.

The same thing happened again several times, but the young woman stayed awake longer each time. Eventually, it got to the point that she remained conscious for several hours. Food was sent to her through a rectangular hole and the left-overs were taken away when she was asleep. Kasumi easily lost count of the numbers of days that passed. Her state of health slowly got better and at some point, the newly-appointed Jounin was able to walk around in her cell.

Then, what seems to be months later, she finally received a visitor. It was a man a couple of years older than herself. She did not remember much of his appearance, as her mind was quite hazy. Unconsciously, Kasumi recoiled and flinched, on guard at seeing the unknown person. What did he want with her? Why was he there? Why keep her alive without interrogating her?

The man didn't speak. He approached her slowly, pushing her against the stone wall. He was unarmed, but dangerous all the same. The Jounin tucked some bangs behind her ear, looking at her with eyes filled with some intense emotion. His fingers slid through her hair, down her neck and in her cleavage (she was wearing a white yukata) before playing with her nipples. His touches were foreign and strange, leaving Kasumi with arching eyebrows at his actions. He must have noticed it too, for his hands began to explore her more thoroughly.

Now, one would imagine that someone Kasumi's age would know about the workings between a man and a woman behind closed doors, but her friends had kept her away from such subjects. Anko especially thought that Kasumi should keep her innocence a little longer… and she always had the luck to avoid seeing her friends in such compromising positions. As such, Kasumi didn't understand the Kumo-nin's actions.

The ninja continued his ministrations and slowly became animalistic. Some of his actions became more rough and as he touched a certain place (after tearing apart the white yukata she was wearing), Kasumi felt a rush of exhilarating pleasure. She needed to feel it again, she needed him to touch her… She moved alongside the man as they fulfilled their needs together.

When she woke up again, the man was gone, but after some time, he came back and they resumed their activity. However, the more they indulged themselves, the more Kasumi resisted. After the initial experience, her mind took over her body and she was now disgusted at how willing she was the first time.

As expected, her rejection was not taken well and it had its consequences. The man returned to her cell more often now, and would cut her, force himself on her, violate her in any way possible. That cycle continued on for days, and Kasumi's food supply dwindled rapidly. The kunoichi then made a plan to escape. She only had one chance, and if she failed, well, there was no turning back.

Patiently, she waited for that man to come. Luckily, he thought that she was much too weak to pose much of a threat, so she easily managed to knock him out before taking his weapons. Kasumi didn't know the layout of the base however and had to defeat some Chunin to make her presence go unnoticed. Strangely enough, so far, her opponents were all weaker than her.

The young woman found some clothes and changed hurriedly before beginning to search for the files. From what little she remembered, the target of her mission was in the center of the base where security was strongest. From that, the kunoichi concluded that she was in the outer corridors. Kasumi rushed through the halls, kunai and shuriken in hand.

Yet, before she could get too far, the Kumo-nin she knocked out earlier barred her path. He had a large blade in his hands and his body trembled with fury. Kasumi attacked, but her shuriken were easily deflected. Her opponent shocked her with a Raiton jutsu. Next thing she knew, his hands were on her neck, choking her and weakening her.

Suddenly, the hands on her throat let go, making Kasumi gasp for air. The Kumo-nin had a lightning blade going through his chest. The blade retracted, letting the man, now dead, fall to the floor. Behind him stood an ANBU with spiky silver hair and a dog mask.

"K-Kakshi?" Kasumi asked weakly, rubbing her sore neck.

"You're in a lot of trouble, Sakomizu-san." The ANBU declared. "Let's go back. Your mission is over." He turned to leave, followed by his subordinate. Half-way out, they were surrounded by a group of Kumo-nin Kakashi easily took care of. He was much stronger than the last time she saw him…

Kasumi also had her share of those ninja during her escape and considering her condition, she was doing quite well. But the gap of power between her and her old classmate was obvious and it was easy to take advantage of it.

Sure enough, one of the enemy-nin attacked her as she fended off one of his comrades and had Kakashi not taken the hit for her, she would have died. Luckily, Kakashi recovered fast, and soon massacred the whole group. The files were recovered and they left the base soon after that. As they leaped through the forest, Kasumi couldn't help but feel extremely tired… Then, her eyes closed.


	7. Pregnancy and Birth

Chapter Six

When Kasumi woke up next time, she was in the Hidden Leaf Hospital. Apparently, the ANBU who brought her back made sure that she was well taken care of before leaving to the Hokage's office. Since she stayed captive a long time, she will have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks and see Morino Ibiki to check if she was still up to par as a shinobi.

The first days passed relatively fast as Kasumi stayed asleep most of the time. The only ones who visited her were her close friends from the Academy, her teammates and a certain silver-haired ANBU. As expected, her parents ignored the fact that she had been at death's door when she came back and acted as though they never had a daughter.

However, on her fifth day, a medic-nin announced something that no one could have predicted.

"You're pregnant."

Kasumi sat still in shock with Kurenai trying to calm her down.

"Usually, the baby should've died due to your blood loss and the extreme conditions you were in. Since Dog was able to patch you up temporarily, it could have increased the baby's chances of survival. I also believe that when you were fighting to escape, your abnormal prowess in battle was due to your unconscious desire to protect your child. Whether you wish to keep the child or not is your choice. However, you would have to wait until after you are fully healed for an abortion."

The doctor left after that, leaving the two women in shock.

Kasumi touched the place where her baby was growing inside of her. She knew that there would have been chances of her being impregnated, but she always thought that she would have never been able to return home alive. Kasumi never intended to have children so soon, but now, pregnant, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of person her baby will grow to become.

"You want to keep the baby, don't you?" Kurenai asked kindly.

"I don't want this child to suffer the loneliness I had back then, but I don't know how. I don't even think that I'm suited to be a mother. What if I keep remembering what happened in that base every time I look at my child? What if I begin to hate him or her? What if I try to kill my child in revenge?"

Kurenai was startled at her best friend's words and hugged her tightly. It has been so long that she received love from her parents that she forgot what it felt like. Since this child will not have been born from love, it might make it easier to hate him/her.

"Father and Mother… They'll never accept this child neither and I won't be able to raise this child and go on missions at the same time… How could I raise this child if I don't have enough money?"

"I'm sure that we'll find a way, Kasumi-chan. We'll definitely find a way."

News of Kasumi's pregnancy spread like wildfire. Many pitied her and commended on her strength whereas others hated her for her weakness. The council just wants to have a possible new bloodline in Konoha, but they didn't matter too much either way.

As expected, the Sakomizu couple disowned their daughter upon hearing the news. In retaliation, her friends lent her as much support as they could. The Hokage granted her a break for the time that she will be raising the child and gave her economic support. Kasumi slowly got back on her feet thanks to them and soon began to smile like before the incident.

(Kakashi's POV)

"Come on, my youthful rival! Let us go visit Kasumi again and shower her with our youthfulness!"

The silver-haired man ignored his "rival" and continued to read his favorite book. "Hn…"

"Oh, how hip of you, Kakashi!"

"Guy, why do you always bring Kakashi to visit Kasumi anyways?" Asuma asked, lighting his cigarette.

"Didn't you know? Kakashi has a youthful interest towards Kasumi! And I, as his friend and rival, must encourage his youthfulness!"

"Well, it's true that Kakashi saved Kasumi-chan…" Kurenai admitted. "But that doesn't mean anything."

In a conspiracy-like way, Guy bent down and whispered loudly: "Kakashi has been visiting Kasumi in the middle of the night to make sure that she is alright."

Kakashi, still ignoring the conversation, was not able to react when Kurenai hit his head in anger.

"Ouch! What was that for, Yuuhi-san?"

Kurenai cracked her fingers menacingly. "You visited… Kasumi… in the middle of the night?!"

"I-I can explain, Yuuhi-san!" Inwardly, he sweat-dropped in fear. Women can sure be scary…

"You better, Hatake Kakashi!"

"Well, you see, Kasumi was having nightmares so I checked on her to make sure that she can rest peacefully!" He replied hurriedly. "That's all!"

"Nightmares?" Kurenai repeated, now much more calm. "So she's still suffering…"

Luckily, she didn't notice his slip of the tongue, though Guy and Asuma surely did.

"This is something she'll have to fight herself, but she's strong so you don't have to worry." Asuma patted Kurenai's shoulder.

Later that afternoon, Kakashi went to visit Kasumi alone with some groceries and other necessities.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I can take care of this myself, Hatake-san? I'm not invalid and going outside from time to time is also good for my health, you know!"

"Think of this as an exchange for your delicious meals." Kakashi shrugged.

"I'm sure that you can cook perfectly fine, Hatake-san." Kasumi began to wash some of the vegetables. "Anyways, aren't you an ANBU? You don't seem to have been given many missions lately."

Kakashi was a bit stunned and debated on how to answer. He was not going to say that he asked for less missions so that he can watch over her more! After all, Kasumi is now around seven months pregnant. She has yet to display change of moods and desire to eat strange food, but it surely won't be long.

"Never mind." Kasumi sighed. "I swear I don't understand you men at all. When Guy and Asuma visited earlier before leaving for their mission, they had been asking me if you came to visit yet. That look in their eyes… I still have shivers when I recall that."

"Ah. They seem to have found something very amusing." Kakashi replied as he leaned on the counter. "So what are we having today?"

"Oden, it's been a while since I ate some anyways."

"Would you like me to help?"

That was how they began cooking together every night. Kakashi will never admit it out loud, but when he held Kasumi in his arms that day, he was scared that she could die. He didn't want to lose her like he did Rin and Obito. It was stronger than that though. Somehow, the whole trip was a blur and before he knew it, he was sitting in the waiting room exhausted and waiting for news about Kasumi's situation. He had never been so scared in his life.

Well, his sensei teased him quite a bit about her when he found out. Not only him, many others did as well. It didn't help that she didn't seem to notice much, but it was probably for the best. What she should be concentrating on was the baby.

Days passed, then weeks. Before they knew it, Kasumi got into labor… when Kakashi was visiting her alone. He panicked a bit before quickly bringing her to the hospital. It was his first time being present when a woman was going into labor… and he was scared, very scared indeed.

Kurenai, Guy and the others arrived as soon as they could. Even the Yondaime came, though it was mostly to calm Kakashi down. Even though there were soundproof seals on the room, the prodigy trembled quite a bit as though he could actually hear her screams. He believed he did, in any case.

Finally, hours later, they were allowed inside. Kakashi had been the first to enter and to see the baby they had been waiting for… It was a little boy with dark blue hair much like his mother, but his eyes were brown. He looked at Kakashi curiously and smiled as though he knew what Kakashi had done for his mother.

"I want to call him Daisuke, Sakomizu Daisuke. I hope that he will become a kind and helpful boy."

"Daisuke… Welcome to the world."

(Outside the room)

"He really is smitten, isn't he?" Asuma smiled.

"She likes him too and he doesn't mind the baby…" Kurenai told him. "It might work."

"Oh, what a youthful moment this is! Daisuke-kun is shining with all of his youthfulness!"

"So, tell me, how well do they get along?" Minato asked as he looked at the scene.

"Kasumi told me that they might as well live together now, even though they're neighbors." Kurenai answered. "They seem to be good for each other."

Minato smiled. "Yes, they really do… It seems that my student has a family sooner than I, his sensei. I hope that he becomes a good father."


End file.
